Manifolding device



Aug. 9, 1932. E. K. BOTTLE 'MANIFOLDING DEVICE Originai Filed Dec. 26, 1925 INVENTOR.

M,%a&g; & m

Patented Aug. 9, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE EDWARD KIRZBY BOTTLE, F ELMIRA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SALES BOOK COMPANY, LIMITED, OF TORONTO, CANADA, A CORPORATION OF CANADA.

MANIFOLIDING DEVICE Application filed December 2 6, 1925, Serial This invention relates to improvements in manifolding devices such for example as autographic registers or the like wherein one or more copies may be made of an original inscription.

It is the general object of the invention to provide in a manifolding device such as an arrangement connection with autographic register, an improved totalizing whereby a continuous record of totals of a series of separate transactions may be simply, easily and effectively made.

Another object is to provide in a device of the class mentioned, improved record strip controlling means including controllingdevices spaced longitudinally of the writing platen and designed to maintain the record strips in correctly aligned position and to avoid creasing, bulging or similar irregularities that might interfere with satisfactory entry and transfer of the inscriptions.

A further object is to provide in a device of the class mentioned an improved arrangement for mounting and operating a totalizer strip upon which a series of totals may be successively recorded and the record kept for reference as desired.

Still another object is to provide in a device of the class mentioned an improved arrangement whereby a plurality of record strips may be supported for feeding movement in intersecting paths and arranged for simultaneous reception of an inscription.

Other objects will be in part obvious in the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, and in part pointed out there- 1n.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set-forthfand the scope of the application of which will be'ndicated in the claims.

For a completennderstanding of the nature and objectsofthe invention, reference is had to the following description of an illustrative but preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an auto- No. 77,728. Renewed December 21, 1931.

graphic register-embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the relative arrangement of the record and totalizing strips and of the transfer strip.

Referring to the drawing for a detailed description of the embodiment there illustrated, a casing 10 of struction may be formed with an interior compartment for the reception of a supply pad 11 of record strips, indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, which may be loaded into the compartment through an opening in the end of the casing closed by a door 12 preferably pivotally mounted at its lower edge on the casing. This supply pad or pack may be of any desired form but preferably is of the zigzag form in which one or two or more long traveler strips 13 of paper adapted for continuous feed or travel are interfolded in zigzag formation, thus forming leaves or pad leaves between successive folds which are positioned at opposite ends of the pad. These folds are preferably weakened as by perforating along transverse lines 14 so as to facilitate severance of the leaves. One or more of the record strips 13 are preferably provided with blank forms 15 arranged in a series therealong to facilitate inscription of records thereon, manually or otherwise. The record strip which is to receive the original inscription forms and the other strip or strips, to which the inscription may be transferred by means of transfer sheets, may also be provided with similar blank forms.

The record strips 13 are guided from the storage supply compartment over a transverse guide rod 16 and through a rearwardly disposed transverse slot 17 in a top plate 18 of the easing, into position above said top plate tion of the inscription. chanical feed mechanism may be provided which may be of any preferred known construction. For the purposes of this specification the rearward end of the machine is regarded as that where the record strips 13 any preferred conwill be provided with these blank where they are supported for recep- If desired, a me- 2 emerge through the slot 17 from the storage 3 compartment onto the platen, while the forward end is that occupied by the strip controlling pins 22 hereinafter referred to. The record strips are fed from the rearward end of the platen toward the forward end thereof.

In order that the advancing record strips may be checked with the successive blank forms positioned for the reception of inscriptions, the forward side of the slot 17 may be provided with a transversely disposed edge or apex 19. Since the strips turn about this apex as they are forwardly fed, and there is some tension upon the strips, there is a tendency, when the transverse weakened lines 14 come into registry with the apex, for the strips to fold or bend sharply about said apex as shown in Fig. 2. Due to this folding action, the apex functions as a detent or checking device to temporarily interpose a greater resistance to strip advancement, facilitating stopping the strips with the blank forms thereof positioned upon a support or writing table for the reception of an inscription. The projecting part 20 of the top plate may be utilized as a hand rest for use when making a manual inscription. The top, plate 18vmay function as a writing table or platen for supporting the record strips in position for the reception of an inscription.

The strips 13 may be formed with apertures 21 bearing a definite relation to the blank forms 15 thereon and enabling the strips to be impaled upon pins or posts 22 positioned adjacent one end of the writing platen. The strips are thus retained in correct position upon the platen for the reception of inscription. A strip guiding and retaining bar 23 may also be supported adjacent the pins-22 for guiding and retaining the strips. It will be clearly seen in Fig. 1 that the aligning pins 22 are free and unobstructed at their upper ends permitting the strips to be freely engaged therewith with the pins in the strip apertures and to be freely disengaged merely by raising slightly the outer ends of the strips. The pins are also preferably spaced slightly forwardly and longitudinally of the platen 18 from the retaining bar leaving a small unobstructed space between the bar and pins, thus facilitating engagement or disengagement of the strip with the pins. When the ends of the strips are lifted to disengage the pins or are being lowered to move into engagement therewith, they are still engaged and retained by the bar 23, thus preventing displacement or disalignment thereof.

From the'foregoing it will be seen that the record strips are held in writing position at one end of the platen by the pins 22 and at the opposite ends of the platen they are engaged at the transverse weakened fold lines 14 thereof by the transverse checking edge 19. When the record strips are fed from the storage compartment over the platen, the checking detent 19 engages with the weakenedfold lines 14:, thus checking record strip advancement at about the time that the strip apertures come into alignment with the pins 22. Thus, the strips will be held as shown in Fig. l and steadied in writing position at one part thereof by the pins 22 and at a longitudinally spaced part thereof by the checking detent 19.- The record strips will also be maintained in smoothed out condition to facilitate the entry of the inscriptions thereon.

One or more transfer sheets 24 such as carbon paper sheets may be supported over the platen plate 18 in interleaved position with the record strips 13 so as to transfer to a lower strip a record inscribed upon an upper strip. The transfer stripmay be supported by a transversely disposed bar 25 pivotally supported at 26 upon the casing and adapted to be swung to the dot and dash position shown in Fig. 1 for permitting the record strips to be threaded into position and the carbon sheet These supporting and guiding bars may be multiplied as needed to support the desired number of carbon sheets, two being shown in the illustrative embodiment. The free ends of the supporting bars may be retained in operative position by means of a keeper 27 which may be attached to the top plate 18 or made integral therewith. The carbon sheet is supported by the lower supporting bar 25 by means of an end portion doubled upwardly over the bar as indicated at 28. Also for a purpose more fully described below, the doubled over portion of the carbon sheet may be provided with a forwardly extending tab 29. The transfer material being disposed upon the lower face of the main body of the transfer sheet, it will thus be seen that the transfer material on the tab faces upwardly.

The totalizing record strip 30 is supported in position whereby a reach thereof overlies the writing platen, said reach being preferablydisposed between two adjacent record strips 13 as shown. The support shown for the totalizing strip includes a supply roll 31 suitably supported at one side of the platen and an oppositely disposed spindle 32. The spindle 32 may be mounted for rotation in brackets 33 and extends at one end through a sleeve 34" carried by one of the brackets 33, said extension being provided with a knob 35 for manual operation of'the spindle. A longitudinal slot 36 is preferably provided in the spindle for the reception of the loose end of the strip 30 to retain the latter for winding upon the spindle. The slot may ex tend to the end of the spindle as shown to enable the accumulated roll 37 to be slid off the end of the spindle. This may be accomto be attached to the bar.

plished by retracting the spindle throu h the sleeve 34 until the end of the spin le clears the roll 37. The strip of the accumulated roll 37 may also be removed from the spindle by unwinding as by pulling the outer end of the strip when severed from the main part of the strip.

The totalizing strip 30 is preferably of translucent material so a record inscribe upon the reverse side thereof may be read through the opposite or obverse side. It is positioned over the tab 29 of the transfer sheet so the transfer material comes into contact with the underside thereof. Therefore when the sheets and strips are assembled as described and a record is inscribed upon the upper strip 13, such record will be transferred or duplicated upon the under record str p. No record will be transferred to the totalizing strip however until an inscription is made at a part of the record strip directly above the tab 29. For the purpose of reserving the strip 30 for reception of a total record, the tab may be positioned so as to register or align with a total space 38 on the blank forms 15 when the transfer strip is in inscription receiving position. It will be observed however that the strip 30 is not limited for the reception of a total record, as it may be positioned and proportioned to receive any other part or all of the inscrlbed record. In case it is desired to transfer other parts of the inscribed record as suggested, it will be understood that the transfer sheet will be arranged to effect the desired transfer.

The direction of feed of the strip 30 being transverse to that of the record strips 13, it will be seen that the former may be fed independently of the latter or vice versa. Therefore an independent record may be kept on the strip 30 which is available for separate filing or observation. Also the successive records will appear on the strip 30 in the order they are made upon successive blank forms of the record strips, it being understood that the strip 30 will be fed forwardly after the record of a complete transaction has been inscribed upon the record strips 13. The record strips are then fed forwardly to bring the next blank form into position over the platen, and the inscribed parts will be torn off along the perforated lines 14. It will be seen furthermore that this arrangement makes it easy to identify records on the strip 30 with corresponding records upon the record strips 13.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I.

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s:

1. In a manifoldin g device, in combination, a platen for supporting forwardly fed parts of a record strip in position for reception of an inscription, spaced pins upstanding from said platen near one end thereof and fixed thereupon for entering apertures in the strip to position the latter in inscriptionreceiving position upon the platen, and a transverse guiding and retaining bar for the strips overlying the same and positioned in proximity to said positioning pins at the rearward sides thereof, said pins havin unobstructed upper ends and being space slightly from said retaining bar whereby the record strip may be raised upwardly while un der said bar so as to engage or disengage said pins with said apertures.

2. In a manifolding device, in combination, a platen for supporting forwardly fed parts of a record strip in position for reception of an inscription, spaced pins in fixed position and upstanding from the platen in proximity to the forward end thereof so as to enter apertures in the strip to position the latter in inscription-receiving position upon the platen, and a transverse guiding and retaining bar for the strips overlying the same and positioned in proximity to said positioning pins at the rearward sides thereof, said pins having unobstructed upper ends and being spaced slightly from said retaining bar whereby the record strip may be raised upwardly while under said bar so as to engage or disengage said pins with said apertures.

3. In a manifolding device, in combination, a platen for supporting parts of a continuous record strip for reception of an inscription, at least one pin upstanding from its support near one end of said platen and mounted for entering apertures in the strip to position the latter in inscription receiving position, a transverse guiding and retaining bar for the record strip overlying the same and positioned in proximity to said positioning pin at the rearward side thereof, said pin having a free upper end and being spaced slightly rearwardly from said retaining bar whereby the record strip may be raised upwardly while under said bar so that the apertures may be engaged ordisengaged with said pins and a checking device positioned longitudinally at the opposite side of the platen inscription area from said pin and being engageable with the record strip to check it and to position it when engaged by said pin.

4. In a manifolding device, in combination,

a platen for supporting parts of a continuous record strip for reception of an inscription, at least one pin upstanding from its support near one end of said platen and mounted for I entering apertures in the strip to position the latter in inscription receiving osition, a transverse guidin and retaining ar for the 10 at the rearward side thereof, said pin havin a free u per end and being spaced slightly rearwardlyfromsaid retaining bar whereby the r 0rd strip may be raised upwardly while der said bar so that the apertures 18 may be e gaged or disengaged with said pins and a tr syerse checking edge positioned longitudinally at the opposite side of the platen inscription area from said pin and bemg engageable with the weakened fold lines 20 of the record strip to check the latter and to position it when engaged by said pin.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD KIRBY BOTTLE. 

